Memphis ― a blues capital no more

MEMPHIS, June 2 ― It was once the cradle of blues and rock for America and synonymous with the magic of B.B. King. But Memphis is not the musical beacon it used to be.

With the death of the legendary blues guitarist King last month, the city has lost of one its last favourite sons. And little by little it is being eclipsed by its eternal Tennessee rival Nashville.

It was in the streets of Memphis, mainly legendary Beale Street, where blues music got its rapturous start in the 1940s and 50s before spreading to the rest of America.

“The blues entertainment industry started here in Memphis and it had a huge hand in making rock' n' roll possible,” Jayne Ellen Brooks, of the Memphis recording studio Sun Records which played a big role in that process, told AFP.